Automatic control device for the operation of visual and audible signals



Oct. 28, 1930. `E. E. scoT'r 1,779,986

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE OPERATION OF VISUAL AND AUDIBLE SIGNALS Filed Nov. 24. 192e s sheets-sheet 1 *l INVENTOR.

www@ Ernes E. Sco \f ,/f/ By es 'n Si Q 9 so c I ATTORNEY.

E. E. SCOTT I oct. 2s, 1930.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE OPERATION OF VISUAL AND AUDIBLE SIGNALS Filed Nov.

24, 1926 5 Sheets-5h66?, 2,

fg 2 msULA-rloN NVENTOR. Ernes E. Sco

ATTORNEY.

E. E. SCOTT Filed Nov. 24, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 QM W w 9. 2.. H n .M Q 55,1 y, 4%

INVENTOR. Ernes' E. Sco

A TTORNEY.

Qct. 28, 1930.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE OPERATION OF VISUAL AND-AUDIBLE SIGNALS Patented Oct-28, 1930 Y.

PATENT FFICE ERNEST E. SCOTT, Ol DENVER, COLORADO, 'ASSIGNOB TO THE ELECTRIC ALARM CO. ING., .A CORPORATION OF COLORADO AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR THE OFERATION OF VISUAL AND AUDIBLE SIGNALS Application filed November 24, 1926.

The object or" the invention is to provide a means adapted for interposition in an electric circuit designed tor the operation of visual or audible signals, so that the encrgizing circuit may be closed and the signal thus put into operation when the part to which the device is attached is subjected to vibration of any kind, no matter how slight; to provide a construction in which the con- 10 comitant parts are arranged in compact form and readily housed in a small casing; to pro vide adjusting means whereby the sensitivity of the device may be regulated; and to provide a combined mechanical locking means and circuit breaker, so that the device may be rendered inactive when it is desired that it shall not function.

lilith this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination ot parts of which a preferred embodment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illust-rating the invention.

Figure 2 is an elevational view showing the side cover of the casing removed, the circuit closer being shown in closed position and the mechanical lock in open position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fgure 2, showing the cover broken away but with the circuit closer in open position and the mechanical lock in closed position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane indicated bythe line %4 of Fig ure 2.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 ot Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a perspective view et the bracket pla-te.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the various circuits.

The prime actuating medium of the device is a metallicshielded electro-magnet 10 supported at an intermediate point in the casing 11, the magnet being of the solenoid type and provided with a movable plunger 12 having a pin and slot connection at its upper end with an oscillatory lever 19, the latter Vbeing pivotally mounted at the axis ot a ratchet wheel 111 made et insulating material with its pe- Serial ITo. 150,524.

ripheral teeth engaged by a pawl 15 pivot allymounted on the lever 13 and impelled in the direction of the ratchet wheel by a spring 16. The circuit of the magnet 10 is alternately closed and opened so that the plunger 12 reciprocates and thus oscillates the lever 13, imparting a step by step movement to the ratchet wheel. The ratchet wheel is the signalling circuit control means, being designed to maintain the Asignalling circuit closed for a specified length of time, that is, during one complete revolution ot the ratchet wheel. To this end, it is provided on one face with an annular metallic conductor 17 in contact with which there is disposed a wiper contact 18 and a second wiper contact 19, the former extending to a point adjacent the inner periphery of t-he conductor 17 and the latter traversing a point adjacent the outer periphery, so that after one revolution, the wiper contact 19 will engage tne insulating segment 2O which is set in the annular conductor 17.

rlhe wiper 18 is mounted on an insulating lblock 21 and the stock of which it is formed is extended, as indicated, to provide a spring contact member 22 which is directly opposite to but spaced from a similar contact member 23 having an insulating mounting 24: on the wall of the casing 11. An arm 25 of insulating material is 'disposed between the contact-s 23 and 22 and at its extremity carries a metallic segment 26. The arm is movable axially, being carried by the pendent nose 27 of the locking bar 28, the latter being carried in slides 29 mounted on the top wall otl the casing. In one position ot the locking bar, the segment 26 is disengaged from the contacts 22 and 23 but in the other position is engaged with said contacts, so that current from the source, such as the battery 30, may reach the annular conductor 17, the positive terminal of the battery being connected with the contact 2S by a conductor 31.

The bracket plate 32, which is employed for the support ot certain oscillatory actuating elements ot the device, is secured to one wall ot the casing 11, but is insulated therefrom, as by a plate ot insulating material 33. The bracket plate is formed with the shelves 34.

and oit which the latter is materially longer than the former and disposed below and spaced from the former. The plate 32 is also Contact 19 the la ter bein mounted on an l 7 als tending below the plunger 4 one direction,

insulating block 38 and a'conductinfr link 39 extending from the point ot'mounting on the block to the ear STL t the shalt' 35 there is securedy a flat spring member l0 oiiset from the shelf beyond its point of connection `with the latter and eX- 12, carrying a i'oot meinberll of insulating material with which the lower end ot the plunger mayengage, the latter being provided with a disk l2 at its lower end, valso of insulating material and radially larger than the plunger to provide a peripheral flange which serves as an element for actuating the means which opensv and closes the oircuiton the solenoid l0, as hereinafter described. The spring member l0 carries on its upper face a Contact i3 normally engaged by a contact ell, the latter beinglcarried on the `under face ot a flat spring member disposed directly above the spring member 40 and secured in position onthe shelf but insulated from the latter aswell as from the spring memberlO, as by the insulating block 46. lThe spring member Ll5 has electrical connection with'the signalling device l? which in the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention is a vehicle horn) Vby mea-ns of a conductor 48. e v

Since the electrical installations in auto vehicles call 1for the frame.A of the machine servingasthe negatii'fe conductor, the illustrated embodiment ofthe invention shows .the battery 30 grounded at 49 and one side of the horngrounded at 50, this arrangement also calling for the grounding oi:l the circuit on the electro-magnet l() which'is accomplished, as illustrated, by engaging the terminal 5l otthe magnetwinding under onerear of the strap 52 which secures the magnet in position inthe casing. The other terminal 53 of the magnet'winding is connected at 54 to metallic plate 55, the latter being mounted on the backA ace 'of the bracket plate'82 but insulated from the latter, as shown at 56. y

\ In electrical connection with the plate 55 there is a rocker 57 ot which the terminal yoke 58 straddle's the langeat thel'owerend of lthe plunger l2 provided by the disk 2, so that Vwhen the magnet lO is energized, the ilange engages the yoke and moves the rocker in lower being provided with a Contact 59 moving it in the other dip recti'on when the magnet 1s deener'gized and disposed opposite to andengaging a Contact 60 carried by a spring 6l, the latter being mounted upon the shelf Set of the bracket plate 32. Y Y

The initial circuit closing means comprises a flat spring 62 dispo'sedfbe'low the'ear 36 oi' the bracket plate and secured thereto Vagainst an interposed'pieoe of insulating materia-l 63,1.tbeV screw 6l secu-ring the springin for connecting the conductor 65' to' the screw i and also' serve as a means for holding the vibratoi'y spring member 6 6 attached to the ea an iiisulatingwa'sher 67 being. interposed between the nuts andthe vibratory. spring. The vibratory spring' 66is composed of a plu? rality oflaminze' of varying lengths of which the longest is the uppermost carries at its outer extremity a Weight 68 through which a bumper 69 extends, the bumper protruding beyond the weight both above and below the latter. y y M Complem'ental contacts 7() and A7.1 are carried by the' springs A66 and 621l respectively andthe position ot the latter springis adj usted by means of'ascrew post 'l2A threaded threughthe lower wallet' the 'ciasiiig ll and provided with an insulated' headTSand with a knurled turning knob "ill, the. latter being exterior' to the Vcasnig and serving to elevate and lower the head by the rotation of the screw. Thus the position of the spring 62 is adjusted toward and away from the bottom wall of the casing and the desired adjust` ment is' maintained by means of a lock nut Z5 iinterposed between the head 74 and the case wa l.

ln the normal positions of the parte, when y passing over the wire 3l, the Contact 23, seg'- ment 26 and contact 22, thence 'over the conductor 65 to the springV 62 and thence to the spring 66, Vfrom which it passes to the bracket late .lilith the plunger l2 in the lowered position, the disk a2 eec'tsengagement of the contact 59 and 60,"as in Figure 3, lut the weight of theplunge'r eilects separation of vthe contats'lll and yl-3. The current having reached.k the bracket plate 32, passes over the spring 6i, the 'Contacts 60 Vandr59 to the Cil CTL

rocker 57 and thence over the pate 5.5 and lead 53 through the windingiof the magnet, leaving the latter by the lead 51 and passing back to the battery through the ground connection. The magnet having thus been energized, the plunger is elevated by the magnetic pull, with the result that the lever 13 is rocked and a slight angular movement imparted to the ratchet wheel 14;, this movement being suilicient to shift the insulated segment 2t) from under the wiper Contact 19. irrespective of further movement of the vibratory spring 66, a circuit is then established to the magnet which is alternately interrupted by the plunger as the lat-ter .is elevated to engage the upper side of the yoke and separate the contacts 59 and (SO, the droL ping of the plunger reengaging the contacts. But the reciprocat-ion of the plunger imparts step by .step angular movement to the ratchet wheel and as long as the wiper springs 18 and 19 engage the annular conducting ring 17, the magnet circuit is established except for the intermittent breaking due to the opu, eration of the rocker 57, current in this instance passing from the battery to the contact 22 as when the circuit is established by the vibratory spring 66, and passing from this contact to the wiper spring 18, thence to the conducting ring 17, the wiper spring 19, and the conducting link 39, reaching the bracket plate 32, whence it flows back to the battery, as previously described.

The step by step movement iirparted to the latt-het wheel by the reciproeation of the pl nger advances the insulating'segment 2O through a full arc of 3600 until it finally passes below the wiper spring 19, when, if the cause of the initial vibration of the weight o8 has been removed so that the contacts 70 and 71 are not in engagement, the circuit on the magnet will be broken. lf the cause still remains, however, the engagement of the contacts 70 and 71 will leave the shunt circuit comprising the conductor intact anc the cycle will be repeated.

'The reciprocation ot the plunger 12 is attended with an intermittent opening and closing of the signalling circuit comprising the horn or other signalling device with which the i ting the signalling means passing to e S previously described and the spring 40, the contacts 43 and i e5 and conductor 48 to the signalling device 47, from which it passes back the ground connection to the battery. Each time the plunger drops as a result of the opening of the magnetic circuit by the actuation of the rocker, the signalling circuit 1s opened by the separation of the contacts 43 and 4ta.

The locking bar 28 is designed for mechanical operation, being connected to a exible stem 76 enclosed by al flexible tubular member in which the stem is slidably movable, the tubular member being preferably a spiral spring with the convolutions in close contact. Obviously, the impart-ing of an axial movement to the stem will impart longitudinal movement to the locking bar which, if moved in one direction, will disengage the segment 26 from between the contacts 22 and 23 and bring the nose Q7 into obstructing position with relation to the plunger 12. Obviously, the movement of the stem in the other direction will shift the nose 27 out of obstructing relation with the plunger and engage the segment 26 with the contacts 22 and 23. The locking bar, aside from interrupting the electric circuit when the segment Q6 is disengaged from the contacts 22 and Q3, also locks the. plunger against reciprocating movements due to the vibration of the machine or other appliance on which the device may be attached, so that the ratchet wheel may never be actuated merely from the movement of the plunger due to exterior causes, to move the insulating segment from under the wiper spring 19.

rlhe invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A signal control device comprising, in combination, an electromagnet having a movable armature, a bracket of conducting material provided with two shelves, a spring secured to each shelf and electrically connected therewith, a yoke member pivotally attached to the bracket and insulated therefrom, said yoke member carrying a contact adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with a contact on one of said springs, said yoke member and spring forming a switch for controlling the electromagnet, means for interconnecting the armature and the yoke member so that the electromagnet control switch will be moved to open position when the armature moves in response to the energization of the electromagnet and to closed position when the armature is released due to the deenergization of the electromagnet, a contact member secured to the bracket and insulated therefrom, said last named contact cooperating with the spring secured to the other shelf to form a signal control switch biased in closed position by said spring, means for moving the signal control switch to open position when the electromagnet is deenergized, a time limit switch in series with the electromagnet, means operated by the movement of the armature for controlling the time limit switch and a theft protective switch in shunt with the time limit switch.

2. A signal control device for intermittent- 'having a shelf, aspririgol' Conducting material electrically connected with the shelf, an electromagnet having's Winding :mda Inovable core, one enel of the Winding lbeing grounded, the other terminal of the time limit circuit closer being electrically connected with the bracket, u rocker (57) having two spaced-'members at one end, the other end of the rocker being pivotally supported by and insulated `from the bracket, one end of the eleetromegnet Windingbeing conneeted'with the rocker, means on the eore for projecting between the two spaced members of the rocker for moving` the rocker when 'the Core moves,

Contact carried by the rocker for engaging the spring when the rocker is in one position,

l a signal control switch comprising tivo contact members adaptedto move into and ont of engagement Witb'eaoh ether, one of said members being electrically Connected i With the bracket and the other'insulated therefrom,

one of said last named Contact members eX- tending into the path of the movable core whereby it will -be moved away from the Cooperating centaotwhen the eleotromagnet is cleenergizecl, e theft protective 'switch in pary ellel with the ltime limitV circuit breaker and meansoperated by the movement ot' the core for moving the time limit circuit breaker.

In testimony whereof he afxes his signature. y

ERNEST E. SCOTT. 

